Thesis Statements  

Why write a thesis statement?

Thesis statements serve as the foundation of your essay. Without a thesis statement, it is difficult for readers to know why they are reading your paper. A strong thesis statement ultimately results in a more powerful paper, so spending time on making it the best you can, will pay off when you begin to write.

How do I write a thesis statement?

Using your research question, you can start to develop a thesis statement. Simply put, a thesis statement is a proposed answer to a research question. For example, if your
Research Question was:

What benefits can an urban mass transit system provide in revitalizing economic development and growth in today’s U.S. metropolitan areas?

A possible Thesis Statement based on this Research Question, could be:

In order for major metropolitan areas to continue to grow and attract businesses and visitors, they must be more willing to invest in the development of an efficient and environmentally friendly mass transit system that allows people to move around the city with ease.

Writers use a variety of approaches to write a thesis statement, however most beginning writers find that blending both a fact and an opinion together helps create a very effective thesis statement.

Here is an effective method that many writers will use:

Step 1: Write down your topic idea in its simplest form .

Example: Global Warming

Step 2: Narrow the topic

Example: Alternative fuels to reduce carbon dioxide emissions

Step 3: Clarify your language

Example: Alternative automobile fuels such as hydrogen fuel cells and electricity will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Step 4: Take a position or a stand

More funding should be provided to companies who are developing alternative fuels for automobiles.

Step 5: Add another fact to make your topic even more specific

Developing alternative fuel cells will help make our country economically stronger as well as reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Step 6: Combine steps 4 and 5 (Fact + Opinion)

More funding should be provided to companies who are developing alternative fuels for automobiles, so that we can make our country economically stronger and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Step 7: Revise step 6

More government funding and tax relief should be provided to companies who are developing alternative fuels for automobiles, so that our country continues to be a worldwide leader in the fight to reduce carbon dioxide emissions which have proven to be a leading contributor toward global warming.

Another simple approach:

Begin a sentence with the word “Although” and add a fact, then add an opinion using the word “should” in the second half of the sentence.

Example:

Although global warming is a worldwide issue, the United States should establish itself as a leader in the fight by developing alternative fuel cells.